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Talk:Charles Emerson Winchester III
winchester subs for Frank Burns! See User Reviews 6 July 2009 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638271/ 'Massachusetts General and/or Boston Mercy Hospital?' 'Background Info Items' *Charles apparently interned and worked at Boston General Hospital prior to being drafted to Korea *Based on his stating "practically Chief of Thoracic Surgery" the discussion for the successor to the position was already underway when he left for Korea. *(In the telegram prank episode - need citation) he was notified that he may be removed from contention for Chief of Thoracic (Chest) Surgery because he was going to remain in Korea for the foreseeable future. *He specifically stated that another position like this may not open up for years. *When it is suggested that he could easily obtain a position somewhere else (or, jokingly, performing surgery door to door), he emphatically states "THERE IS NOWHERE ELSE!" *Was it ever specifically stated that he lost out of the position at Boston General? Or that someone else had been awarded the position? * In the finale, Winchester is once again concerned (to the point of having a continuously upset stomach and needing to use the latrine "every hour on the hour" because "boy scouts are tying knots in his stomach." He is once again in danger of losing out on the position of Chief of Thoracic Surgery because another individual is using political skills to "weasel" in ahead of him. However, this time it is apparently Boston Mercy Hospital. *Thanks to Margaret’s contacting her "Uncle Bob" - Chairman of the Board, Mercy Hospital, stating she has known Major Winchester 2 years, and 2 years (at a MASH) is worth 10 years at any state-side hospital Winchester wins the position. **Winchester, in character of course, denies her intervention did anything at all and it is simply his superior skill that wins the job, not her. **Interestingly, if Winchester was part of the 4077th for 2 years (even assuming Margaret rounds up heavily), Frank Burns could not have been present in Korea for much for than 1 year. Assuming his rank of Major was awarded to him initially upon entering the service due to a higher experience level than his fellow surgeons (Hawkeye, Trapper and BJ just being out of residency, therefore Captains, Frank and Charles being older and in full medical practice for years, therefore Majors, and Henry being the oldest draftee doctor with extensive years in private practice being granted Lt. Col.), his promotion and transfer upon his exit from the 4077th does follow the requirements for time in rank, but would have to have some significant acts of note to even consider early promotion. It may be argued, however, that Frank did in fact "earn" multiple purple hearts (2 - even if under questionable means. The theft of both medals does not erase the award from his record and he could easily obtain replacements although he nor anyone else ever appear to realize this) AND it is also possible (though never stated or shown) that Frank, Hawkeye and/or Trapper could have received commendation(s) for uncovering the accidental shelling of Tae-Dong and the attempted cover-up publicly blaming North Korea. Some would say soft ice cream is a good admission. It seems that this was in fact set up to be for the same position, but at a completely different hospital - Mercy instead of General, however, (unless I am mistaken) the original position was not stated as being filled and Winchester was only notified that he MAY be removed from contention. Since he was so adamant that all other hospitals are vastly inferior, and his entire working career has been through Mass General, it seems unlikely that he would work elsewhere. Another minor point is that at no time prior to the finale had he even mentioned applying for positions at other hospitals, such as Mercy, which he obviously would have done if he had in fact been with the 4077th for 2 of the 3 years of the Korean Police Action. Is this just a tidy fix to allow Winchester to have a different job (one acceptable to a man of his high-born breeding and stature, although he stated otherwise) at the conclusion of the series, or is this a mistake in naming and a conclusion to his initial employment concerns? *When Colonel Sam Flagg tried to bribe Winchester to spy on Hawkeye, he claimed he could fix it so Winchester could work at Fort Devans General Hospital Rally round the Flag Boys; there was a Hospital at fort Devans (Lovell General Hospital East} {nearly 30 miles outside Boston] although it is now closed. Although there is no "Boston General Hospital" or "Mercy Hospital" Boston does have at Harvard (Massachusetts General Hospital) which would be the type of Hospital wichester would be most comfortable at. *Lastly If Winchester was born 1921 to have been a Major in 1953; The US Army Almanic states that for the rank of Major, there had to be 14 years service-thus in real life Winchester would have had to join the service in 1939 at the age of 17 when it is quite clear that Winchester only joined the Army reserve in 1948 after graduatuion from medical school-with only 4 years service he would have been a 2nd Lieutenant! 'Winchester keeps giving away books!' Although he has clearly stated that he does not LEND books, he has given valuable books away. When defending the stuttering soldier from his superior and fellow Army Engineers and investigating his record, he learns that he has an above average IQ. Winchester feels a connection to this soldier since his sister suffers from the same stuttering condition. He provides him with a leather-bound copy of Moby Dick stating that is worthy of his intelligence. Winchester additionally not only gifts Margret his copy of Sonnets from the Portuguese (after demanding it back even though he thinks its "romantic drivel"), ruining his four volume collection it is a part of, but also writes a private message to her (the message he wrote is never revealed to the audience, but based on Margarete’s expression she finds it touching and perhaps slightly amusing. A typical style of Winchesters.) 22:29, May 1, 2018 (UTC)Derek D. 05/01/18